


Rain in the Lightning Country

by D475UG0KU



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pre-Shippuden, babby itachi and his illness already starting to take its toll, pre-mission to capture kyūbi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 08:52:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1851988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D475UG0KU/pseuds/D475UG0KU
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're hiding something."<br/>"Am I required to tell you everything?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain in the Lightning Country

If there was anything either of them were used to, it was rain. On any normal day, they would have trekked through it, (Kisame grumbling about the sound of the drops hitting his hat, but not really complaining about it; Itachi stayed silent when it rained) but today the younger of the two Akatsuki members had suggested seeking cover. The older had stood still in the downpour as his partner continued forward.

"Itachi-san?" Kisame tried slowly, white eyes narrowed slightly. Itachi, slowly, came to a stop and he turned, tipping his hat up. Scarlet eyes gazed at him, softly, and searched his face. After a moment, Itachi averted his gaze and his shoulders shifted.

"I'm tired," he said shortly before turning around and resuming walking. The taller missing-nin raised his eyebrows, but after a moment he followed his teammate, rolling his shoulders to alleviate some of the weight of carrying Samehada. Kisame was not one to prod and ask useless questions. Whatever Itachi wanted.

They arrived in a dingy village on the outskirts of the Lightning Country. They (Kisame) always attracted looks in small villages. He didn't mind them. Itachi gently knocked a pouch against Kisame's hand, shifting his gaze towards him momentarily. The taller shinobi took the pouch, nodded, and they went their separate ways. It was still raining terribly. The black haired male had sent his partner to get them a room while he went to get food.

They met up not long after, and Kisame led him to the inn where they would stay. It was small, but roomy enough for two beds. Nothing fancy. Itachi set down the bag of food he had procured on the small kotatsu in the middle of the room before heading to one of the beds to sit down. He nibbled quietly on the stick of dango in his hand as he shed his cloak and hat, shoving his sandals off with his feet. Kisame rummaged around in the bag for food he knew Itachi specifically got for him, a box still hot with crab inside it.

Words were not often exchanged between the two of them. The only constant sound in the room was the downpour from outside.

"You're not one to complain about exhaustion, Itachi-san," Kisame spoke at last as he settled on to the other bed, slipping his sandals off. Itachi's gaze slowly met his for just a moment before the teenager looked away. He preferred not to show his weakness, even to someone he personally felt he could trust with his life. Itachi's lips parted so slightly as he contemplated what to say; there were no excuses he could offer Kisame.

"Our mission," he spoke softly, "was tiring." It was a lie Kisame no doubt saw through straight away, but the older man gave a shrug and didn't question it. Itachi slowly got up from his bed and padded over to the light switch, flipping it and shrouding the room in darkness. He moved without a sound to lay back down.

He was not lying one hundred percent; the mission had been tiring, but not because of its difficulty. Itachi was in denial about how bad his condition was getting. He kept his Sharingan activated to keep himself in denial about how bad his regular vision was. He wanted to ignore how he was already deteriorating. He had to go on as long as it took for Sasuke to kill him. His eyes faded to black as he settled down to sleep for the night. In the dark, it was like he was already blind.

The bed creaked under the added weight of another person. Itachi was not one to outwardly react; onyx eyes slowly opened and searched the darkness for the figure he knew was straddled over him. The weight of wide hands dented the mattress on either side of his head.

"Kisame," Itachi said calmly, not budging an inch. Through the calm, it sounded like a warning, it sounded like a question, it sounded like a command. Kisame couldn't decide which. He soldiered on.

"You're hiding something."

"Am I required to tell you everything?" White eyes narrowed. Kisame almost felt hurt. He shifted on top of the smaller man and averted his eyes.

"I figured you trusted me enough to tell me you were sick," the older man muttered. Itachi's hands twitched at his sides. He knew hiding anything from his partner was useless; even though they had only known each other for a year, Kisame knew him better than his family used to. Kisame could read him like a children's book. Itachi lowered his eyes.

"A mission like that wouldn't tire you out, Itachi-san. Did you think you could lie to me?" Cautiously, Kisame lowered his face and set his forehead against Itachi's. The black haired man tensed; they rarely had moments of intimacy like this, and though they did happen, Itachi could never predict when they would happen. Imagine that, the prodigy Sharingan user found something he couldn't predict. The older shinobi realized he was causing his partner discomfort and lifted his head.

"It's serious, isn't it? You wouldn't let something temporary slow you down." Itachi slowly looked away. "Itachi-san."

"It's the Sharingan," he began, annoyed, but only slightly. "Extended use of the Sharingan, Mangenkyō in particular, puts strain on the body..." his voice trailed off. Kisame's focused white eyes encouraged him to go on. "The eyes, as well." Kisame sat up, all his weight on his legs to keep off of Itachi. The younger man took this as an opportunity to sit up as well; he crossed his legs and pointedly stared at the mattress. Kisame shifted to mimic his position.

"It's not serious as of right now. I wasn't gifted in the stamina department in the first place, it's only natural that was the first thing to be affected."

Kisame's hands fell on his shoulders and pulled him forward. Itachi would have protested if not for his partner's lips against his. Neither of them were good at expressing things through words, but they were not very physical people either. They didn't need to be told what they meant to each other.

This was the first time Kisame ever went as far to kiss him.

Itachi pulled away and a contemplative look crossed his features. Kisame quickly apologized and got up from the bed. Itachi grabbed the hem of his shirt without thinking. They exchanged looks and Itachi let go. Kisame went back to his bed, and they went to sleep without a word.

In the morning, the rain hadn't let up.


End file.
